Video: Roadkill Attempts Four-Day Restoration on 1950 GMC Truck

Mike & Dave Do a Junkyard Revival, Dub New Project “Pigpen”

We’ve come to know and love the dynamic duo of Roadkill’s Mike Finnegan and Dave Freiburger, for their low-buck adventures trying to transform rusty heaps into drivable projects. This time around, the two are on the prowl for another low-buck adventure in Fresno, California; open to whatever they might stumble across as the basis of their next project. After scouring the grounds of Turner’s Auto Wrecking, they come across a 1950 GMC pickup with that perfect patina of fade and oxidation that would make it the perfect backdrop of a clothing catalog.

Mike and Dave are immediately drawn to the truck and start wrenching on it in the hopes of driving it back to Roadkill HQ to make it their new project. The mass of debris and junk in the bed earned the truck the nickname “Pigpen.”

After finding a suitable cap and rotor for the ignition system, the old GMC straight-six fired up surprisingly easily and idled smoothly. After sourcing a new brake master cylinder, it seemed like the old truck was ready to hit the highway. However, the two soon discovered why the truck was abandoned nearly 30 years ago, as the engine showed its displeasure at anything swifter than a walking pace. Undaunted, Mike and Dave vow to build Pigpen up into a legitimate Roadkill project, with Dave even suggesting a built GMC 302ci straight-six with a turbo. We can’t wait to see what comes next!